The existence of the computer has enabled a single machine to produce simultaneous mailings to a vast number of people. It has, therefore, become desirable to provide a simplified and inexpensive means for mailing such documents.
Several efforts have been made to develop a single page product that can be configured as an envelope suitable for delivery through the U.S. mails and, when opened, give the appearance of a formal letter. Lubotta, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,706,878 discloses one such combination letter and envelope suitable for use with a computer which employs a coating of glue along the edges of the document to retain the document in the envelope configuration. Hutchinson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,928,875 and Hays, U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,121 disclose similar single page documents which are folded and glued into an envelope configuration.
Virtually all existing methods for providing a page of paper which is suitable for conveying information in the form of a letter and foldable into an envelope configuration require glue, staples, or some other retaining means to maintain the page in the envelope configuration. The assembly of the envelope, therefore, involves a gluing or stapling stage which increases the cost of the assembling and mailing of such products. It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a method of converting a page of paper suitable for use as a letter into an envelope configuration which does not require the use of glue, staples, or other conventionally used means for retaining paper in a given configuration.